Tile girder-covering.



PATENTED MAY 16, 1905.

H. L. HINTON.

TILE GIRDER COVERING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. a1, 1903.

//v VENTOI? d flmyfi Z227: Z011 B) I S Hm a- A TTOFM/E Y Patented May 16, 1905.

FFICE.

PATENT HENRY L. HINTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TILE GlRDER-COVERING.

SIECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,732, dated May 16, 1905.

Application filed January 31, 1903. Serial No. 141,249.

To all whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY L. HINToN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tile Girder-Coverings,(Case No. 2,) of which the following is a specification.

In the erection of steel-frame buildings it is frequently the case that steel girders extend below the ceiling-line and have to be covered, both as a protection against fire and to provide a foundation for the finishing masonry. This has heretofore been done by means of a tile clip having a slot to receive the girder-flange upon which the clip rests, and extends around under the girder to protect its lower face. These clips are relatively thin, only forming a covering for the girder-flange, and the space, which varies in extent under differing conditions, between the clip and the ceiling, is built up with chips of tile or bricks or other material and mortar.

The object of my improvements is to provide a girder-covering tile which will efficiently cover the girder and fill in the entire space from the girder-flange up to the ceiling, however much this space may vary within ordinary limits To this end I provide a girder-covering tile the lower part of which is made in the usual manner with a slot to receive the girder-flange, but which has above the ordinary clip a series of superposed voids or chambers with frangible walls which may be conveniently broken away. Thus the top of the tile may be broken away at any point required to make the tile conform to or fill in the space between the girder-flange and the ceiling, leaving the rest of the tile complete, and the girder is efliciently protected, while the time and expense of filling in a vacent space with masonry are avoided.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a section of a tile girdercovering constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 shows-the same with the top broken away.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the base of the tile, which is provided with a slot a, adapted to receive the girder-flange. The walls B B of the tile extend above the tile to such a distance that the tile when entire will extend up to the highest point at which the ceiling will meet the girder in ordinary practice. Within the walls B B are the voids or open spaces C D E, &c. The walls B B are indented or grooved at various points, as shown at 0 0, d (Z, 0 e, &c.

In applying the tile in case the space up to the ceiling is not sufficient to admit the entire tile the top of the tile is broken away at such points that the tile will fill the space up to the ceiling when resting on the girder -flange. Thus if the dotted line a; w in Fig. 2 represents the ceiling-level the upper part of the tile will be broken away at the points 9 g, and will then be applied to the girder, just filling the space up to the ceiling.

Such tiles may be made in various patterns to conform to varying requirements as to the thickness of tile-covering below or on the sides of the girder; but the ordinary form will be such as that shown in the drawings. By their use the necessity of building up with masonry a vacant space between the covering of the girder-flange and the ceilingis avoided and the whole space is filled in with a single tile, which is firmly held between the girderflange and the ceiling, the advantages of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A girder-covering tile, provided with a plurality of frangible, permanently-removable portions to enable the tile to be fitted to girders of varying depth, said tile having on one face a flange-receiving recess and provided on opposite sides above said recess with a plurality of weakened portions extending transversely of the tile and located in diflerent and parallel planes, the weakened portions of one side being in the same transverse plane as those of the other side, substantially as described.

2. A girder-covering tile provided with a plurality of permanently-removable frangible portions to enable the tile to be fitted to girders of varying depth, said tile comprising a hollow body, having its inner wall provided with a flange-receiving recess, and a plurality of transversely-extending weakened portions, arranged in different and parallel planes, and having an outer wall parallel to the inner wall and provided with a plurality of weakened portions extending transversely thereof and arranged in the same transverse planes as the weakened portions of the inner wall, and partitions connecting said walls between said weakened portions whereby a greater or lesser amount of the said body may be broken away and permanently removed to it the tile to the girder with which it is to be used, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28tl1 day of January, A. D. 1903.

HENRY L. HINTON.

Witnesses:

CLARKsoN A. COLLINS, JAMES A. LYNCH. 

